Responsible faculty or institute:
Education (principal) Campus(es) Offered:
Course Duration: Minimum
3 yrs, Maximum
Course Contact (faculty or school):
The Doctor of Education is a professional doctorate, a qualification designed to extend industry and professional practice in a chosen area. This degree involves three years of specialised professional learning that aims to advance knowledge and practice. It is supported by coursework and includes a research component resulting in the production of an externally examined 80,000 word thesis, or equivalent, written in English. Note: This degree is not available for international students. The research topic for a doctorate in the Faculty of Education will reflect the candidate's own interests and the research expertise of their supervisors. Further information on the research interests of supervisors in education can be found by browsing the Faculty of Education people pages which can be found at http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/educ/educ/people.asp. Further details about the research and supervision activity of particular individuals can be found by using a name search or a key word search on 'education' in the Web Access Research Portal (WARP) site. Potential projects may be linked to:
School improvement plans;
Curriculum reform/ development across the school, in relation to a particular year group, a specific learning area, or group of students (eg gifted and talented);
Pedagogical innovation again within a specific learning area, across the school, or targeted towards enhancing achievement of a specific student group;
Wider community / partnership initiatives, including for example, strategies associated with transition or learning pathways;
Personal professional learning interests.
The research component can be undertaken in a number of formats:
A traditional thesis;
A collection of academic and professional papers, with an accompanying academic commentary in text format;
Presentation of an educational product (text, multi-media or web-based), with an accompanying academic commentary in text format; or
An exhibition of the process and output of the educational research conducted, with an accompanying academic commentary in text format.
The campus of study will vary depending on the location of the candidate, the supervisor and the research field.
Currently there are no fees for domestic candidates as they are provided with a Commonwealth Research Training Scheme place.
Applicants should apply after finding a potential supervisor and discussing and agreeing on their proposed topic. Applicants will be considered who have:
Bachelor of Education (Honours) or equivalent degree with a major research project
Master of Education
Graduate Certificate in Education (Researching School Improvement)
Usual requirements for entry would include a teaching qualification with honours or an educational postgraduate coursework qualification or extensive teaching experience.
A Doctor of Education produces individuals who can apply a substantial body of knowledge to research, investigate and develop new knowledge in a specialist area. Graduates will fulfil the skill requirements in the Australian Qualification Framework for this degree and the University of Tasmania expects all graduates of an EdD to meet its Generic Attributes.
In Australia and around the world, EdD graduates are highly regarded as potential employees. The skills and attributes gained in the degree can be the entry to a post doctoral career at a university, and an EdD is also valued highly for positions in several professions including Health, Police, and the Public Service.